The Fair Trade Show is coming back to Toronto with its Buy Good, Feel Good Expo May 13-14. Leading up to the Expo, I thought I’d highlight just a few of the fair trade fashion and beauty companies that will be exhibiting that weekend. I’ll be at the show, and if you’d like to join me I have details on a {DISCOUNT CODE} at the end of this post!

This week, I’m talking to Fair Trade Jewellery Co. about their ethically sourced gems! They’re BCORP certified and have a collaborative culture that’s more like a tech company than traditional hierarchical jewellery corporation. They are the only company in the world offering dual certified gold—certified by both Fairtrade & Fairmined. Their company, which is comprised of 80% female staff, is a safe space for creatives. Goldsmiths and designers are encouraged to experiment with designs, materials and processes. They use unique materials such as Canadian diamonds, Lab Grown Diamonds, Recycled Diamonds and Vintage diamonds from the 19th century along with certified recycled gold or dual certified Fairtrade & Fairmined gold to create pieces that can be cherished for generations.

1. What is the history of Fair Trade Jewellery Co. and how did it start?

We started in 2006, in wholesale, to supply retail jewelers with designs that incorporated single-source gold from a mining consortium in Columbia. We thought it was important for consumers to know where materials that went into the making of their jewellery originated. The industry, as it turned out, didn’t share that feeling and so we decide to prove our model by skipping the traditional retail channel and selling directly to consumers. That was eleven years ago and it’s only been in the past 2-3 years that the industry has even started to move in this direction.

2. What motivated you to start an ethical company?

We founded a company so that we and our clients could understand and know the origin of the things that were used to make these incredibly important and meaningful objects. We also wanted to build a company that we would want to work at and that stood for something. There are too few companies that exist for more than merely generating a profit.

3. What makes your brand unique in the market?

We offer our clients things that are made to reflect both their values and their style. And so we consider the materials that go into every thing and make sure they are consistent with our client in every way. In addition, we design and manufacture in house which is unusual when outsourcing is the norm for most jewelers—especially those that sell online. When you talk to someone at our company, you’re talking to someone who actually makes jewellery.

4. What do you see for the future of your company and/or the future of the fair trade market?

We see the market as growing—certainly we have experienced rapid year-over-year growth since our beginnings. Our future will be expanding our retail presence into China, Japan, India and the U.S.

5. Where can we buy your fair trade goods?

At our Toronto store/workshop or online. We do a lot of custom work for clients who are remote to us as well, so distance doesn’t matter that much.